The stars aligned this afternoon and I was able to sit down and watch the entire Microsoft E3 2014 Media Briefing live from the comfort of my own home.

The kids were told to play outside, so that meant the room was mine alone. Currerbell1847 was close by, as I had the directive to tell her “when something Halo” came on.

Ladies and gentlemen something Halo did come on, and with this post (and a few more) I’m going to give you my reactions to the Halo goodness that was unleashed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014.

First up general reactions:

Microsoft’s Media Briefing was all about games. A reaction/overcompensation for last 2013’s E3? Yes.

A good reaction/overcompensation? Yes.

I liked the feeling of having something to see and then the build up to it. Having a goal of what I wanted to see meant that I had to look for it ever second, which means I’m paying particular attention to the entire conference.

Of course I was most looking forward to anything Halo, but Assassin’s Creed Unity, Tom Clancy’s The District, Inside (from the creators of Limbo), Ori and the Blind Forest, Fable Legends, etc. – they all helped to remind me that there’s more going on in the gaming universe than Master Chief and Co.

I’m glad of the reminder, and I’m looking forward to the other games!

I was a little underwhelmed by the lack of attention Halo 5: Guardians received.

True, there was a trailer – but the trailer was more for Halo: The Master Chief Collection; Guardians was the shell for setting up the Chief’s greatest hits.

We did see the beta teased for the end of this year (12/27/14), but I stress the word “tease” there.

I know we’ll get more down the road but I had hoped to see a little more.

Technically speaking I’ll need some more info before I feel I have a firm grasp of exactly what I’ll getting in the Master Chief Collection.

How exactly will the playlists work again? Will I choose by game or mode? Will Halo: CE Anniversary’s maps have multiplayer just like everything else?

I understand it’s a briefing and they don’t have time for all the nuts and bolts but I’ll need some clarification (which has already started via Halo Waypoint employee’s tweets).

Looking at the conference from a strictly Halo-fan perspective, this year was a win. The fan service 343 Industries dished out was delicious, and while my bank account had hoped to by an Xbox One in 2015, it seems I’ll be looking to get one sooner.

Specifically before November 11th of this year.

Those are my general reactions – I’ll hit the specific games/ideas in the coming posts.

in the meantime, head over to Waypoint and watch those trailers again!